Qu Yang

The journey was still not peaceful, or rather, traveling in ancient times was inherently a risky endeavor. Originally, as the young head of the Fuwei Escort Agency, Lin Pingzhi would have been able to avoid a lot of trouble, if not travel completely unimpeded, from Fuzhou City to Hengyang City, simply by stating the agency's name.

However, Wang Jingyuan stopped him. According to Wang Jingyuan: "When else will you get such a good opportunity to practice? Aren't these bandits just practice dummies? Junior Disciple Brother, hurry up and attack. You're only allowed to injure them, not kill them."

Since his senior disciple brother had given the order, and the opponents were not good people, Lin Pingzhi had no choice but to steel himself and go. However, what Lin Pingzhi couldn't understand was why Wang Jingyuan always told him to injure the enemies but never to kill them.

At first, he thought Wang Jingyuan was being merciful. But after Lin Pingzhi dealt with these bandits, Wang Jingyuan would then proceed to kill them all.

One day, another bandit who had tried to rob them died under Wang Jingyuan's sword. A satisfied smile appeared on Wang Jingyuan's face, sending shivers down the spines of Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi standing nearby.

Indeed, grinding monsters was the fastest way to get stronger.

Lin Pingzhi couldn't suppress his curiosity any longer and asked, "Senior Disciple Brother, why do you always make me spare their lives, only for you to take them afterward?"

"Do you remember how many people I've killed on this journey?"

Lin Pingzhi pondered for a moment, then replied, "I don't remember clearly, but I estimate it's over fifty."

"These people are monsters; they were going to die anyway. But if I had you kill them, then walking along this path, having killed so many people, would you feel alright?"

Lin Pingzhi knew himself well enough; he wasn't afraid of killing, but he couldn't quite accept killing so many people without cause. He shook his head, "I probably wouldn't be able to sleep at night."

"See? For a young person like you, such a thing is too heavy. This... heavy burden, I'll carry it alone."

"Senior Disciple Brother..." Lin Pingzhi was deeply moved, "But this way, you'll also be distressed."

Wang Jingyuan shook his head, "Not at all."

Lin Pingzhi admired him, "Senior Disciple Brother's state of mind is truly beyond my..."

Wang Jingyuan grinned, "Because I enjoy it."

Looking at Wang Jingyuan's brilliant smile, Lin Pingzhi's heart tightened. He couldn't help but wonder, was the Mount Hua Sect truly a righteous sect? And after his senior disciple brother killed someone, he still...

Yue Lingshan said nothing, merely rolling her eyes. After such a long time, she had long accepted the fact that her junior disciple brother had a screw loose.

"Such great killing intent from a young person." Suddenly, an old voice came from nearby. Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi turned their wary gazes towards the source of the voice. As for Wang Jingyuan, he was still squatting on the ground, rummaging through the bodies.

Experts could hide their aura, but they couldn't hide their nameplates and health bars. Wang Jingyuan had noticed the nameplates and health bars of Qu Yang and Qu Feiyan trailing not far behind the group since earlier.

Since their health bars were yellow, Wang Jingyuan hadn't paid them any mind. They had no past grievances or recent enmities; Qu Yang wasn't someone who would suddenly decide to shoot him with the Black Blood Divine Needle on a whim. So, he ignored them.

However, now that the other party had spoken, it was difficult to pretend not to see them: "I'm merely punishing evil and promoting good. And you, an elder of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, are the least qualified to say such a thing."

Hearing Wang Jingyuan's words, Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan, who were already on guard, became even more apprehensive, as if facing a great enemy. Qu Yang, hiding in the shadows, was also startled. He believed that in his travels through the Jianghu, he had never met this person.

How could he know it was him just from his voice?

Wang Jingyuan casually took out a bottle of wine: "I originally bought this to increase my Senior Disciple Brother's favorability, but since we've met, Elder Qu, would you like to come over for a drink?"

From the bushes not far away, a thin old man with a refined face emerged, but his eyes were sharp and bright. By the time he approached, Wang Jingyuan had already spread a blanket on the blood-strewn ground and laid out various dried provisions.

Wang Jingyuan took out a few wine cups, poured the wine, and Qu Yang didn't stand on ceremony. He ignored Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi, who stood with their swords drawn, and sat down by the blanket, picking up his cup and drinking.

Wang Jingyuan beckoned to the two: "You two, stop posing. If he had murderous intent, the three of us combined wouldn't be enough to fight him."

Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi thought it made sense, so they sheathed their swords. However, their expressions remained wary, and they cautiously sat down behind Wang Jingyuan.

Wang Jingyuan raised a cup of wine and downed it in one gulp. Qu Yang, along with the dried provisions, began to drink.

Wang Jingyuan glanced at Qu Yang: "An old hand like you, why don't you test it before eating or drinking? What if I had poisoned it?"

Upon hearing this, Qu Yang continued to eat and drink as usual. Lin Pingzhi, who had just picked up his cup, paused. However, seeing Wang Jingyuan and Qu Yang already having finished a cup, he immediately became annoyed with himself, thinking he was too cowardly.

Even if there was poison, so what? As long as he could die together with the elder of the Demonic Cult, he couldn't lose the integrity of the righteous path. He immediately stiffened his neck and drank it down.

After Qu Yang finished the wine in his cup, he replied, "You openly speak of the Mount Hua Sect plotting to seize the Bixie Sword Manual, so how could you possibly poison my wine?"

Wang Jingyuan shook his head, "News travels fast. What do you mean 'plotting to seize'? The head of the Fuwei Escort Agency, Lin, voluntarily gave it to Mount Hua. Also, your judgment of people is really not accurate."

Qu Yang frowned, "You poisoned it?"

"No."

Qu Yang drank another cup, "As long as you haven't poisoned it now, then my judgment is accurate. If you were a mediocre person, you wouldn't have known my identity and would have invited me for a drink. If you were a villain, your fellow disciples wouldn't choose to die with you."

Wang Jingyuan glanced at Lin Pingzhi, "He's just an honest person, easily tricked."

Wang Jingyuan glanced at Qu Yang again, "You can be considered a good person, your moral standards are above the average level in this Jianghu. Since we've met, it's normal to offer you a drink."

Qu Yang's eyes lit up, "It's rare for someone your age to have no sectarian prejudice."

Wang Jingyuan denied it, "Who said I have no sectarian prejudice? My sectarian prejudice is huge. There's no one else here..."

Yue Lingshan, Lin Pingzhi: "..."

Wang Jingyuan continued, "Since there's no one around, I can drink and chat with you. If we met in a public place, I would be irreconcilably opposed to evil heretics like you, and I would curse you.

I would curse very harshly, and I hope you won't take it to heart then, after all, we're from different factions, just trying to make a living."

Qu Yang suddenly burst out laughing, "Hahahaha! You truly are an interesting person!"

Wang Jingyuan glanced to the side, "You're here feasting and drinking, but you're letting your granddaughter stand by and watch. Is that appropriate?"

Qu Yang's eyebrows twitched, "Feifei, since we've been discovered, come over and have some food."

Rustling sounds came from the other side, and after a moment, a petite, agile little girl in green clothes and black hair skipped out. She had a cunning smile like a fox and still had a childish air about her.

When she came over, she blinked her large eyes and looked Wang Jingyuan up and down, "Big brother, how did you discover Grandpa and me?"

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

"Hmph, stingy." Qu Feiyan plopped down next to Qu Yang and took a huge bite of her dried rations.

Qu Yang glanced at Wang Jingyuan. "I'm an elder of the Divine Cult, you know. I'm aware of the situation with the Five Great Sword Sects. If it were any other sect, fine, but your Mount Hua Sect is dwindling in numbers. I know the situation of your disciples like the back of my hand. Yet you suddenly appeared. I assume you only recently joined the Mount Hua Sect.

But it's precisely you, a new disciple, who can escort the Sect Leader's daughter all the way to Fuzhou to accept a disciple on his behalf. May I ask, young brother, who exactly are you?"

Wang Jingyuan shook his head. "My situation is too complicated. It would be too difficult to explain in a way you could understand, so I won't bother. How about we discuss business instead?"